The subject invention pertains to portfolios for carrying papers, books and the like. There are many kinds and styles of briefcases or portfolios on the market today, ranging from inexpensive vinyl envelopes with a plastic zipper on or near the top edge to expensive, attractive, hard shell, leather covered portfolios with metal hinges and special handles. The portfolios of the subject invention are inexpensive to manufacture but at the same time are attractive in appearance. They comprise integral moldings of a thermoplastic polymer to form a first side panel and a second side panel respectively hingedly mounted on respective, opposite, longitudinal edges of the spine by living hinges. Each panel has two integrally molded side flanges connected by an integrally molded top flange to form two, respective, three-sided enclosures on respective panels. The longitudinal edges of said two side flanges and said top flange of the respective enclosures are abutted when said side panels are swung about their hinges from an open position toward each other and into abutting contact of said flanges in the closed position. An elongated snap-ring assembly may be mounted on the inside face of the elongated spine. The longitudinal edges of the flanges preferably have sealing means to provide a substantially water-tight seal between said edges when they are in abutting contact.
The preferred form of said sealing means comprises longitudinal grooves in the longitudinal edges of the side and top flanges on one side panel and longitudinal mating tongues or ribs on the longitudinal edges of the side and top flanges of the other side panel. A handle may be integrally molded on the spine-remote edge of at least one of said side panels. Another feature of the invention is the mating tongue and groove interlock means on the longitudinal edges of said top flanges to releasably hold said portfolio in closed position.
The portfolios may further have substantially triangular wall near each end of said spine and aligned with respective side flanges on the respective panels. The side flanges each have a diagonal edge adjacent said spine, which edge abuts against one of the diagonal walls of said triangular wall when said portfolio is in the closed position. Sealing means much as the above described tongues and grooves preferably are provided on the edges of said diagonal walls to provide a substantially water-tight seal between said edges when they are in abutting contact.